a. Store firewood away from the house.

b. If possible, make sure that at least three or four inches of the foundation can be seen all the way around the home. This will allow you to readily identify termite shelter tubes that may be located at the foundation.

c. Stucco or siding should not extend below the soil. This may cause “wicking” of moisture into the exterior walls of the home and may also hide termite shelter tubes.

d. Make sure that water drains away from the foundation. Accumulations of water or moisture are critical to a subterranean termites existence.

e. Roof or plumbing leaks should be fixed immediately. Subterranean termites are able to survive above ground in your walls or other parts of the structure if enough moisture is present.
[Up]
 

Subterranean termites feed on the cellulose material that is found in the wooden frame and drywall backing in your home. Certain desert species may feed exclusively on dead or dying plant matter.
[Up]
 

A pretreatment is a preventative termiticide application to the soil within the foundation and form boards of your home prior to the floors being poured. The final grade is the preventative termiticide application that is applied to the exterior of the home adjacent to the foundation.
[Up]
 

a. Two factors generally are involved in why termites consistently reoccur in a structure. The first is that the bulk of the termiticides used today are
Barrier-producing materials. Obviously, if you encounter a roadblock on your way to dinner, you will attempt to find another route. That’s how a termite “sees” it. Barrier applications applied after a home is built are imperfect and leave to many alternate avenues for termites to gain entry into you home. The second factor is that more than one colony can attack your home at once. So even though an occurrence can be remedied on one side of your home, another occurrence may happen at another spot that is completely removed from the first. Typically, these are the reasons why the company is seemingly “pushing” the termites around your home.
[Up]
 

As long as the technician who is applying the termiticide applies it in a manner that is conducive with all Federal and State rules and abides by the parameters outlined on the material label, then the application of that material is as safe as it can possibly be. Obviously, family members and pets need to be kept away from the treated areas until the material is dry, dissipated or aerated.
[Up]
 

A shelter tube can range in size from half the circumference of a pencil to three times that size. It usually takes on a light brown or mocha coloration. If the termites are feeding on components of dry wall, the tube(s) may contain specks of white sheetrock material. They may be found at the exterior foundation as well as hanging from the ceiling or running down the length of a wall.
[Up]
 

Absolutely. Keep in mind that the interior of your home will most likely contain products that contain cellulose such as sheet rock wall covering and furniture. Also, the foundations for block and steel stud do not vary much from those used with wood frame homes and still have the same types of cracks and joints that allow termites to find access into your home.
[Up]
 

Ants and termites can and do swarm at relatively the same time here in the desert southwest. Two primary identification keys are, (a) Termites have a “slab” waisted body. Ants have a “pinched” waist. Additionally, termites have two sets of wings that are of equal length. Ants have two sets of wings but one set is shorter than the other.
[Up]
 

The only way to answer that is to have a complete and thorough inspection conducted by a competent and licensed pest management company. If there are no signs of termites or damage, then you probably do not need to have your home treated. Termites are random foragers and will not necessarily target your home next. Beware of companies using scare tactics to get you to sign a contract for treatment or warranty simply because your neighbor has termites.
[Up]
 

Typically, not a lot. The Western Subterranean Termite, which is the primary structure infesting species in Arizona, is not known for creating large amounts of structural damage in a short period of time.
[Up]
 

There is no single method of controlling termites that is better than the others, but having options does provide a choice of methods to suit particular situations. We recommend a termite inspection in order to determine the best method and treatment plan.

Traditional barrier treatments use applications of termiticide to the soil at potential termite entry points into the structure. The termite colony must then use other available food sources such as tree roots, fallen limbs, fences, etc. instead of the structure. Soil treatments are intended to control termites for extended periods of time, although, they may be breached due to physical disturbance of the treatment zone (landscaping activities, construction, erosion), tree roots growing through the treatment zone, and natural degradation of the termiticide, among others. For these reasons, most termite control treatments are available with renewable warranties.

The newest technology for controlling termites uses monitoring stations placed in the soil around the structure. When termites are present in a monitoring station, a bait is applied to control their activity. Once the termites are controlled, the bait is removed and the station becomes a monitoring device to detect future termite activity. We can provide specific information about each type of termite treatment available.
[Up]
 

Termites forage from spring through fall and they spread most commonly underground. If your home is currently termite-free, it could become infested by termites that are active nearby. A preventive termite control program will help avoid termite infestation. Contact us for additional information about termite biology, habits and treatment options.
[Up]